An end to grey hair and crows-feet could be just 10 years away after scientists showed it is possible to reverse ageing in animals.

Using a new technique which takes adult cells back to their embryonic form, US researchers at the Salk Institute in California, showed it was possible to reverse ageing in mice, allowing the animals to not only look younger, but live for 30 per cent longer.

The technique involves stimulating four genes which are particularly active during development in the womb. It was also found to work to turn the clock back on human skin cells in the lab, making them look and behave younger.

Scientists hope to eventually create a drug which can mimic the effect of the found genes which could be taken to slow down, and even reverse the ageing process. They say it will take around 10 years to get to human trials…

…Scientists have known for some time that the four genes, which are known collectively as the Yamanaka factors, could turn adult cells back to their stem cell state, where they can grow into any part of the body.

But it was always feared that allowing that to happen could damage organs made from the cells, and even trigger cancer.

However, it was discovered that stimulating the genes intermittently reversed ageing, without causing any damaging side effects.

In mice with a premature ageing disease, the treatment countered signs of ageing and increased their lifespan by 30 per cent. If it worked similarly in humans it could allow people to live until more than 100 years old. In healthy mice it also helped damaged organs to heal faster.

It sounds great, but I kind of think this will be one of those things are are ‘too good’ to become available to to the public. Lots of money to be made in the anti-aging creams and miracle solutions, after all, we all know its far more beneficial to ‘treat’ problems rather than cure them.

It sounds great, but I kind of think this will be one of those things are are ‘too good’ to become available to to the public. Lots of money to be made in the anti-aging creams and miracle solutions, after all, we all know its far more beneficial to ‘treat’ problems rather than cure them.

Nuts to that.

Folks would mortgage their kids to have a chance at fighting the entropy of their bodies. If there is anything to the process described, it will go forward.

Anything that gives humanity more power and physical life without being accompanied by at least a proportional increase in our spiritual life and closeness to God, is, in my mind, not a good thing. Why? Because the situation is already mightily unbalanced and the injustices, moral degradation and evil will increase with increased power.

I welcome an increase of life and quality of life, all things being equal. But they are not equal and will be even less equal if this comes to pass. Obviously, this is all already factored into God’s plan, but I for one, am not too optimistic about what this really represents. On the other hand- we don’t know how it will play out. Maybe it will just “even the scales” in reversing the damage caused by other technologies which have polluted and toxified our world and our bodies.

I believe that a shorter well lived religious life is far more desirable. Why is it that people would want to live in this pitiful lower world forever if they could, caring nothing of God’s Heavenly Kingdom?

Anything that gives humanity more power and physical life without being accompanied by at least a proportional increase in our spiritual life and closeness to God, is, in my mind, not a good thing. Why? Because the situation is already mightily unbalanced and the injustices, moral degradation and evil will increase with increased power.

I welcome an increase of life and quality of life, all things being equal. But they are not equal and will be even less equal if this comes to pass. Obviously, this is all already factored into God’s plan, but I for one, am not too optimistic about what this really represents. On the other hand- we don’t know how it will play out. Maybe it will just “even the scales” in reversing the damage caused by other technologies which have polluted and toxified our world and our bodies.

Whoooh.

Yeah, life was **so much **better before technology, when folks got cholera drinking water, when streets were full of animal poop and people died of skin infections that now would not even call for a medical appointment. And when average lifespan was 45.

Lol. So instead of life being nasty, brutish, and short, it will be nasty, brutish, and long, according to Hobbes.

Of course, there’s this for the lucky few who can afford it, and then there’s euthanasia for the others who are such a drag on everyone else, like alcoholics or people with dementia, unless everyone is genetically engineered from three or more parents to have those kinds of traits removed. (I’m being very tongue in cheek, just to be clear.)

We have a very questionable bed of ethics for things like this to settle in nicely.

I believe that a shorter well lived religious life is far more desirable. Why is it that people would want to live in this pitiful lower world forever if they could, caring nothing of God’s Heavenly Kingdom?

This world is of God’s creation. You forget that at one time man did live hundreds of years. Even today there may very well be one man that has lived thousands of years.

Doesn’t the prospect of being DEAD inspire just the veriest weebit of grief or horror in youse guys???

Of course; the good news is that Christ redeemed us to join in eternal communion with God. Suicide is such a terrible thing because life is so good. Death is an evil thing; but, I also think God was loving to forbid us from the Tree of Life after having eaten of the Tree of Knowledge.

Doesn’t the prospect of being DEAD inspire just the veriest weebit of grief or horror in youse guys???

There are plenty of ways of dying that I would rather not experience, but death itself means separation of the real me from a body that is slowly (and sometimes painfully) beginning to give out on me, into a period of cleansing, and then into the presence of God (provided I die in a state of grace). No grief or horror

Doesn’t the prospect of being DEAD inspire just the veriest weebit of grief or horror in youse guys???

Not really. Maybe it should but I think my chances are better there than here. I’ve had a really hard life. I’m ready for a break. Purgatory would be a huge break for me!

TCEL:

Of course; the good news is that Christ redeemed us to join in eternal communion with God. Suicide is such a terrible thing because life is so good. Death is an evil thing; but, I also think God was loving to forbid us from the Tree of Life after having eaten of the Tree of Knowledge.

No one said suicide, but I’m not taking a live twenty years longer shot or pill. :nope: